With One Taken Away
by GreyBlur
Summary: The scene of Zoe Nightshade's death. Includes touching relations to a line of poetry Different POV. Read and review. One shot. Not so sure on the genres.


**Read while listening to "Stop crying your heart out" by oasis.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO&Co.**

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><p>There they were.<p>

Were they always that bright? she wondered. Surely they weren't. She would have noticed them before.

Yet, she senses, deep inside her faithful, dedicated soul, there was a time when they, in fact, _were_ this bright. But she'd never tell anyone this. Oh, no, then her thousands of years fighting, defending, _hurting_ would become worthless.

Then again, what's the point? She's seeing the stars. Doesn't that mean something? It must, considering the way her Leader, her Lady, her _friend_ was looking at her now.

"Have I…served the well?" She whispered, reaching for the goddess's face.

The question was genuine. It wasn't a reassurance, it was an assurance, and only a dedicated, fallen Hunter would know the difference.

Had she served the goddess well? Was she too much of a hassle, pushing away eligible girls with her ancient speech and hatred for the male gender? Were there too many pieces of her for Artemis to pick up and glue together with the blessed power of companionship?

And she worried, even with her last breaths, because, honestly, assurance was the only thing that mattered the most at that moment.

"With great honor," the goddess answered, voice tender. "The finest of my attendants."

The Hunter's face softened. Her Lady never lied.

She knew people, however, who did lie. She spent most of her life trying to run away from those monsters and into the arms of ones she would defeat. But that changed. And she realized this, looking up into the night sky.

She spent most of her life running, yes, but also training to defeat the ones she thought all along she couldn't. And now she was giving up her life to know this simple fact, and it was worth it. Absolutely worth it.

"I can try to heal the poison, my brave one." Her leader offered. The poison, is that what the pain was? She asked herself. She internally shook her head. She knew it was the blow from her very own father.

"_Your whole life you are two, with one taken away_."

She's heard it before, walking by a poem reading. Who was the poet? What was his name again?

Stanley Plumly.

She ventured off away from that reading for months, trying to decode that simple line.

Is it that you are two, mother and child, always? Even after birth?

Is it that you and your father are one, yet two separate people? Is it because of the bond you are supposed to get with him after leaving your mother?

Or is it an entirely different track of life, one in which you find your other half in the man you love, and is supposed to reciprocate those feelings?

But it doesn't matter. She will never obtain even one of those choices. The Fates—and cruel loved ones—made sure of this.

So, she asks herself, does she want the poison attempted to be taken away?

She takes Thalia's hand, silently answering Artemis.

"I am sorry we argued," she whispered. "We could have been sisters."

And she means it.

Thalia is taken-aback and she blinks. "It's my fault. You were right about Luke, about heroes, men-everything."

Was she right? Is she supposed to be celebrating her victory over this once-naive girl's confession? It isn't that she has the strength to- she does - she has the strength _not_ to, and she hopes that will mean more.

In an aspect, she was wrong. "Perhaps not all men." She admits - finally - and smiles at the boy, Percy Jackson. She has seen the way he looks at the kidnapped girl, Annabeth. She has seen the boy's dedication and fight. "Do you still have the sword, Percy?"

He wordlessly put it in her hand and she wrapped her thin, agile fingers around the pen. She remembered her own love, so many years ago. She remembered her sacrifice. Instead of grieving anymore, she studied Percy's sacrifices. Her vision was getting foggy. She had to concentrate.

"You spoke the truth, Percy Jackson. You are nothing like...like Hercules." Weight she never knew was on her shoulders lifted. "I am honored that you carry this sword."

And she means it, all of it. The very knowledge of this fact and the pain from her father's wound causes her body to shudder.

The stars grew brighter. Was it possible?

"The stars," she muttered. It was all she could focus on. "I can see the stars again, my Lady." Was Artemis still there? Was she alone?

"Yes, my brave one." A tear fell on she's face. Artemis was crying for her. "They are beautiful tonight."

Ah, yes, beautiful. Even the word emancipates loveliness. It was, however, an understatement. Were the stars like this is Greece? Were they like this the night she kissed him? Did she see these stars in Hercules' eyes?

It didn't amount to anything, in that moment. She was too engrossed in the natural wonder she was focused on.

Stars.

Stars.

Stars.

Could she, too, be among the heroes in the night sky?

Is he up there? Yes. Did it influence her last wish? No.

Stars.

Stars.

Stars.

She could finally stop crying her heart out.

Stars.

Stars.

"Stars." She whispered, gazed fixed on the sky, and never moved again.

She was given a final blessing from Artemis and the grasped the smoke that left the Hunter's lips. She released the smoke to the sky.

Thus, there was a constellation of a Huntress, running through the night sky.

"Let the world honor you, my Huntress," Artemis said softly. "Live forever in the stars."

And that, Zoe Nightshade did.

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><p>AN review please. thank you.


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